Moments of Courage
Shave it off
Moraler Sarah Rosswog (senior-psychology) shaved her entire head for Thon, one of the few girls to do so.
She shaved it "especially for the young girls who don't have hair," she said. "Everyone's been so in awe." She has received several strange looks, she said, but her main concern is the cold. "Yeah, I need to wear a hat," she said, laughing.
Built Army strong
One dancing team had unique Army fatigue shirts that stated "Built Thon Strong." "If we can be there for them, then they can be here for us," said Dan Klein (senior-biobehavioral health). While he resembled a member of the Army, Klein wasn't totally safe from the perils of the floor. "Every now and then I've been hit by a lot of balls and hosed down by a water from kids," Klein said.
Strutting their stuff
Despite her shyness, 12-year-old Heidi Miller strut her stuff for the crowd on Saturday during the kids' fashion show at Thon. Heidi was diagnosed with cancer at age 9 and is now a Four Diamonds Fund child. Doug Miller, Heidi's dad, took the rare moment in with a disposable camera in hand and tears in his eyes. He shouted, "Heidi! Heidi!" as she made her way up and down the runway.
Irish pride
Austin Antolik (freshman-biochemistry) and Matt Angelini (junior-chemical engineering), part of the OPP Lucky Charms committee, courageously represented their Irish theme by sporting matching bright green hair bows with a shamrock pattern around their heads. The bows, which resembled the headband bows that infants typically wear, were the idea of their committee captain, but both students -- secure in their masculinity -- had no problem showing off their Lucky Charms pride.
-- Compiled by Aubrey Whelan, Ebony Martin, Liz Murphy and Kate Dempsey
Moments of Wisdom
Dancer eases nerves
In a pre-Thon press conference, dancer Ali Nicastro (senior-advertising and public relations) admitted she was nervous to begin 46 hours on her feet. After the $6.6 million weekend, however, Nicastro had some words of wisdom to all future Thon dancers. "Don't give up," she said at a post-Thon press conference.
Rest at last
"You have no idea. It's like the weight's been lifted from my feet," said Blake Barton (sophomore-criminal justice), a dancer for Penn State Abington, as he dropped to the floor at 4 p.m. Sunday. "That's a million more than last year," he said. "Do you know how much money goes to those kids? I would do it again if I had to."
"It's just astounding," Four Diamonds mother Connie Angus, of Newcumberland, Pa. "I think that when these kids are parents they'll have a greater understanding for what they've done today."
Dancers offer advice
"My best advice would be to work on building up your endurance, but no matter what you do, you'll never be truly prepared," said Erin Flynn (senior-marketing), a dancer for Phi Gamma Nu business fraternity. "The key is to not think about the pain."
Few are safe from the giant rubber balls that pop unexpectedly from all directions. In addition to providing an abrupt wake-up call, one ball provided some famous, inspirational messages written in Sharpie.
"Action is the antidote to despair." -- Joan Baez
"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined." --Henry David Thoreau
"Make the most of the best and the least of the worst." -- Robert Stevenson
"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life, as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed." -- Booker T. Washington
Compiled by Heather Schmelzlen and Tim Dooley
Moments of Honesty
E-mail Call
JB Dindak (senior-industrial engineering) said at 3:30 a.m. Sunday that the lack of sleep was starting to affect him, but mail call rejuvenated him.
"I've gone more than 50 hours without sleep, and when you go without sleep for that long, a lot of things start to go through your head," Dindak said. "This just galvanizes what you always felt."
Although Dindak said his family members did not initially understand the concept of the online mail forum and sent mail to his Penn State e-mail account instead, he said he appreciated the feature because most of the mail he received from home was sent online.
"Now is probably the hardest time, but it's moving to know that all these people who aren't here are here supporting you," he said.
Picking our jaws up
Thon public relations overall chairman Mike Petrasek welcomed media members to a post-Thon press conference, reflecting for a moment on the record-breaking total Thon raised and his honest reaction to it.
"Welcome to the post-Thon press conference," he said. "Sorry it took a little bit longer than I expected. We had to pick our jaws up off the floor."
Best day of my life
Charles Millard, the founder of the Four Diamonds Fund has seen his fair share of tears. But Friday afternoon during the pre-Thon press conference, he was all smiles addressing Katie Austin, a former Thon child who is now involved as a public relations captain, even sporting a Four Diamonds tattoo on her inner calf.
Millard her asked if she started a mini-Thon in her high school, grinning as she nodded.
Katie said she's seen Thon from both sides: that of a survivor and that of a student.
In that sense, she said she's learned a lot.
"The day I got accepted to Penn State was a great day, but the day I got accepted as a family relations captain was an even more incredible day," she said.
Compiled by Heather Schmelzlen
Moments of Strength
Feeling like 5.2 million bucks
Laura Weyrick (senior-hotel, restaurant and institutional management) was given a piggyback ride by her boyfriend, Chris Boyle (senior-hotel, restaurant and institutional management), so her moralers could give her legs a rub.
Weyrick, dancing for the School of Hospitality Management, said she felt "rejuvenated" after the rub.
"I feel like 5.2 million bucks," she said.
Bringing cheer
Shaina Jamieson (junior-business administration) said she loves to come to Thon to "keep everybody's spirits up."
Jamieson, who is in a wheelchair, attended her first Thon last year, and she has nothing but praise for the event.
"Everybody's here to cheer them on and to know that we're raising money," she said. "I think that they have the ability to do anything."
No more crying
Four Diamonds father Hank Angus spoke Sunday about the day his son Gabe was diagnosed with leukemia.
He told the crowd about what he said to his wife, "Connie you can't cry. Not now. Gabe needs us to be strong. There will be time for us to cry later, but not now."
Hank thanked the crowd.
"Your smiles are contagious, your laughs uplifting and your hugs healing."
Dream dance
Dancer Sarah Burton (sophomore-journalism and political science) said her stomach bothered her the entire weekend, and she threw up several times.
She said her feet were hurting she just had to "keep bouncing."
"I feel like I am in an almost dream-like state," she said. "My reaction time is slow. My voice is gone. I sound like a man. But, for some reason, it's OK."
Compiled by Ben Skalina, Ebony Martin and Tim Dooley
